Opinion: Youth should take a crack at organising Lakeside Concert

The 2017 Lakeside concert at the Energy Events Centre was brilliant, but what if our youth took a crack at organising it? Photo/Stephen Parker

How's this for an idea. Every second year have a Lakeside Concert committee made up of talented Rotorua young people.

Let them work together to plan that year's Lakeside Concert. Let them plan and manage it from start to finish, even selecting the artists they want to have.

Why? Because Lakeside, as it currently is, is so predictable. An enjoyable evening. The annual "got to be there" event. Almost always first class entertainment.

So why am I suggesting a change to a successful variety concert format used for 21 years?Could a group of young people improve on it? It would be hard to better what is already in place.

I suggest it because I believe young people want something different.

They have told me this on numerous occasions. Too often now to ignore. They think Lakeside is entertainment for old people or those with young children.

They love the lake setting, held inside this year for the first time in 21 years is a credit to the organisers staying true to ''lakeside'', but they tell me the programme doesn't "do it" for them.

Sometimes with young people I'm unsure what they mean, because I do see young people at Lakeside enjoying themselves. But in recent years, when I look around, I think they are right. It's predominantly attended by older people.

I think it is worth investigating why Lakeside doesn't resonate so much with many of our younger citizens.

It would be wrong to assume young people don't know about entertainment.

Sometimes I think that's all they are interested in. When you come from Rotorua you live and breathe entertainment. We are spoilt for choice. We have wonderful talent: musicians, singers, dancers, actors.

Young people know what they like. Their creative and musical interests cover a wide range of genres. They enjoy songs with lyrics meaningful to them. They rap, dance and know who New Zealand's rising talent is. They tell me they enjoy watching magicians make magic, too.

What if every second year we have a Lakeside concert programme that reflects what a significant number in our community want to see and hear? Put together by those who know what their peers like, with the guidance and support of the organisers who have done an outstanding job in bringing us Lakeside for 21 years.

Lakeside must never be just for those of us who enjoy what we already know and are familiar with.

In my case I rarely step out of my comfort zone, I know every year Lakeside will thrill, be just what I expect it to be, a great night's entertainment with artists I enjoy listening to and watching perform.

Obviously I enjoy some performances more than others but I always leave the concert feeling happy and appreciative of the wonderful talents of the various artists.

It must be difficult each year putting together a programme that attempts to cater for all tastes and all ages. Not easy, year in, year out. But I believe making a special effort every second year to accommodate the entertainment interests of our younger population would allow them to feel more included in this annual event.

Who knows, my comfort zone might even have to undergo some stretch. Would that be so bad?